MasterCard is paid off!!!

Well, that was quick. Remember my post from just a few days ago? CRA obviously bumped up my case file in the stack of files to go through. After waiting for five months, I finally have my tax return!

The first thing Chris and I did was getting on our knees and thank The Lord! Seriously, we did! It was a humbling moment to know that this blessing was from God and we needed to do right by Him for what He has given us.

After much prayer and planning, we paid off the MasterCard that very day! ecstatic happy dancing ensues Another debt GONE and a bigger one, too! (That credit will cover the interest that will be due once this billing cycle is complete.)

We have also put aside some funds for Chris' tax installment for previous tax owing. We've made a guess -- right now -- about how much that will be as our accountant is still crunching those numbers for him.

The last big thing is we've topped up our baby emergency fund to reach that minimum $1,000 mark again.

We're in the black and continue to move forward! So far so good....

I think right now, we're just feeling a little thankful and having another debt gone is a huge relief off our shoulders. We still believe anyone can work the baby step plan, budget and get out of debt. It may take longer for some folks who have a smaller income but you can do it! If you have enough determination, drive, anger at your debt and stubbornness you can do this!

Let our moment of joy inspire you. Don't let that feeling that's stirring in your heart to make a change fade away by allowing yourself to be distracted by the next thing on the screen in front of your face. Seriously, make a change! We hope to see EVERYONE we know debt-free one day. That's our hope and our dream.

We'll be happy dancing about this debt paid off for a good while and if you see a little extra skip in our step the next time we run into you,  you'll know why. Boy, you really do feel a little lighter with less debt weighing you down... Amazing....

Rise and Praise His name... even when there's a delay up to sixty-four weeks

Finally, I'm getting to sit down and review the month of August. (It's been a busy month in September so far, forgive me!) I suppose the biggest expense for the month of August has been my dental work. That was a big expense which was totally unexpected with even an emergency room visit! Don't you know the emergency room is where you should go if you want to hang out with friends? Yup, so strange to bump into a friend in the middle of the night at the emergency room... I will say though it made it the long night just go by a little bit faster as we all sat together bundled up in hospital blankets, giggling over our silliness of all being there at the same time. But alas, I digress...

The dental work will be expense and take a long time to pay off, but I don't regret agreeing to the payment plan one bit. They're a great team of doctors, nurses and hygienists. They were able to agree on a deal with us, interest free, and we're very thankful for their trust in us.

We stayed afloat, during those rough times. We stayed in budget with things like grocery spending and household allotment amounts. I thought we had a great idea shopping for meat from our own freezer! Why not? Sometimes you just end up buying a little bit more than you need and that chicken or ground beef gets buried at the bottom of the freezer. Instead of going out to buy more, just shop from home, first! It's sounds so common sense, but sometimes the common sense part of the equation gets lost on all of us -- including the two of us. 

We had a little over $65 left in the grocery budget and we went over by $25 in household but came under in the eating our category by almost $10 by the end of August. Overall, it all seem to even out okay.

I guess the most difficult piece of news was my tax refund. I had to speak to a supervisor two separate times to find out there was a backlog of reviews on people's accounts which made my account be delayed in review as well. The supervisor I spoke with expressed her sympathy but indicated her hands were pretty well tied. She would file a request for my file to be reviewed as soon as could be arranged but it could take up to sixty-four weeks. I was stunned to say the least. Chris was even more upset than I was. I reminded Chris that we must rely on Christ no matter what and not allow these crazy delays to alter our course in praising His name through every storm. We calmed down and kept our tempers allowing the Holy Spirit to minister to us. 

We are still reviewing Chris' previous owed taxes but should have some concrete numbers of what's owed in a week or two. Whatever those numbers show, we will ride that wave and see this thing through. One day we will be debt-free and in meantime every month we do pretty well is another month we can praise God for the blessings He bestows on us. 

The same can be said for your budgeting. Every success you make in a step forward can only mean success for the bigger picture or plan God has in mind for your life. Yes,  you may falter or fall down, but get up brush yourself off, keep an even temper about the situation and praise His name through it all. Tomorrow may be brighter than today, you just never know.